James "T" Jones facts for kids

James Carroll "T" Jones (born January 10, 1931 – died September 15, 2020) was a famous American football player, coach, and sports leader. He was the main quarterback for the Texas Longhorns college team in 1951 and 1952. Later, he became the athletic director at Texas Tech University from 1985 to 1993.

Early Life and His Nickname "T"

James Carroll Jones, known as "T," was born in Childress, Texas in 1931. He grew up on a farm with his five brothers and sisters. His older brother, Charles, gave him the nickname "T." When James was a baby, his parents hadn't named him yet, so his birth certificate just said "Baby Boy Jones." Charles would point to his baby brother and try to say "See the baby!" but it sounded like "Tee the baby!" Over time, "Tee Tee" became "T."

In high school, T Jones was an amazing football player. In 1948, as a senior, he was an All-State quarterback. He could both pass and run very well, throwing for 1,370 yards and running for 500 more. He was also good at basketball and pole vaulting.

College Football Career

T Jones played for the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas at Austin. He played on both offense and defense, acting as a defensive back and a quarterback. He also returned punts.

In 1951, T Jones became the starting quarterback. He helped Texas win against tough teams like #6-ranked Kentucky and #11 Oklahoma. The win against Oklahoma was special because Texas hadn't beaten them in four years. The team climbed to #4 in the national rankings that season.

In 1952, T Jones was part of one of Texas's best-ever groups of offensive players. He, along with Gib Dawson, Billy Quinn, and Dick Ochoa, all made the All-Southwest Conference team. This was the only time in conference history that all four main offensive players from one school were chosen. In one game against Texas A&M, Jones and two teammates each ran for over 100 yards. This was a school record! T Jones also won the Houston Post's Southwest Conference MVP Trophy. The Longhorns won the Southwest Conference championship and then beat Tennessee in the 1953 Cotton Bowl.

T Jones finished his college career with a great record of 14 wins and only 3 losses as a starting quarterback. This was one of the best winning percentages for a quarterback in the school's history at that time. Because of his amazing play, he was added to the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1978.

Career Records

• At the University of Texas, T Jones had the best winning percentage for a quarterback who started for more than one season. His record was 82.4% wins. This record was later broken by James Street in 1969.

Coaching Career

After finishing college in 1953, T Jones started coaching. He worked as a graduate assistant coach for the Texas Longhorns football team. He then spent two and a half years serving in the Army.

In 1956, he returned to coach for the Longhorns. He worked under two different head coaches, Ed Price and Darrell Royal. T Jones coached different parts of the team, including the freshman players, quarterbacks, and defensive backs. During his time as a coach, Texas won three Southwest Conference Championships and one Cotton Bowl. In 1963, he decided to leave coaching to spend more time with his family.

Athletic Director Role

After coaching, T Jones worked in sales and banking for many years. In 1980, he returned to sports as an Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Texas.

In 1985, T Jones became the athletic director at Texas Tech University. As athletic director, he was in charge of all the sports programs at the university. He brought the men's and women's sports departments together. He also hired several successful coaches, including Spike Dykes for football, James Dickey for men's basketball, and Larry Hays for baseball.

During his time, new athletic offices and a baseball stadium were built. A major highlight was when the Lady Raiders women's basketball team won the 1993 NCAA national championship. This was the first and only national championship for Texas Tech in any NCAA sport. T Jones left Texas Tech in 1996.

In 2004, he was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Honor for his important contributions to their sports programs.

T Jones was married twice and had two children from his first marriage. After leaving Texas Tech, he retired and lived in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.